High-Risk Pregnancy Conditions and Complications

• Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)
• Congenital anomalies of the nervous system
• Congenital heart defects
• Congenital heart disease
• Genetic disorders
• Structural fetal abnormalities

Fetal and Neonatal Care Center
Our team provides coordinated care and expert consultations for complex fetal anomalies. 

Maternal-fetal medicine specialists provide care for patients affected by current high-risk conditions and patients who have a history of pregnancy complications.

Prior complications that may elevate risk in a current pregnancy include:

• Oligohydramnios (deficiency of amniotic fluid)
• Polyhydramnios (accumulation of amniotic fluid)
• Preeclampsia
• Pregnancy loss (miscarriage)
• Pre-term labor
• Prior cesarean delivery
• Stillbirth

Even when there is no history of complications, certain conditions may warrant maternal-fetal care, including:

• Abnormal placentation (placenta accreta, increta, percreta and previa)
• Advanced maternal age (35 and up)
• Cervical insufficiency (short, insufficient or incompetent cervix)
• Cholestasis of pregnancy
• Gestational diabetes
• Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hyperemesis
• Intrauterine growth restriction
• Multiples (twins, triplets or more)
• Preeclampsia 
• Rh Incompatibility and isoimmunization

Diagnoses

• AIDS
• Asthma
• Autoimmune diseases, including antiphopholipid antibody syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vasculitis and rheumatic diseases
• Bleeding and clotting disorders
• Cardiomyopathy
• Cancer
• Complex cardiac disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure/chronic hypertension
• HIV
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis 
• Kidney dysfunction
• Lupus 
• Marfan syndrome
• Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
• Organ transplant (kidney or other)
• Psychiatric disease
• Seizure disorders
• Sickle cell trait/disease
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Uterine fibroids

Procedures

Pregnancy after:

• Myomectomy
• Weight loss surgery 

Our experienced team provides a wide range of expertise in the treatment and management of maternal and fetal conditions. University of Chicago Medicine specialists are available for consultations to offer clinical insights and guidance for patients who are pregnant or planning to conceive. Our team will engage in communication with your primary obstetric provider to support the best possible patient care experience and outcome for you and your baby.

Our Prenatal Diagnosis and Reproductive Genetics Program provides compassionate counseling for families who have concerns about genetic conditions, birth defects or cognitive deficits. Our licensed genetic counselor will meet individually with you and your family to:

• Provide genetic risk assessments
• Summarize complex genetic information
• Help you decide about additional testing
• Coordinate care with other providers as needed

Obstetric Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Guided Procedures

At the Family Birth Center, our state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with sophisticated imaging technology to support definitive diagnosis for congenital disorders. Our team of highly skilled specialists brings together more than 150 years of collective experience.

We perform several types of fetal ultrasound, including:

• Transabdominal
• Transvaginal
• Doppler
• Three-dimensional
• Four-dimensional
• Targeted

Our specialists use ultrasound technology to perform diagnostic procedures as indicated:

• Nuchal translucency (NT scan), to determine if fluid is accumulating at the back of the fetus' neck, which may be a marker for Down syndrome or fetal heart defects
• Amniocentesis, to test for chromosomal disorders and neural tube defects

We also offer biophysical profile (BPP) testing, which includes nonstress testing (NST) and ultrasound imaging to assess fetal health, usually during the last trimester.